Which I did by accident as Quinn came at me, and I deflected his attack with a push that knocked him headfirst into a nearby table. He fell to the ground in a heap. I slapped a hand over my mouth in surprise and ran to his side.
“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry. Did I really hurt you?”
He wasn’t moving.
“Quinn?” I got down on my knees next to him and tentatively touched his shoulder. Good God, did I knock him out? I was likeXena: Warrior Vampire .
Just as I was starting to get worried, he turned and grabbed me. “You always have to be on your guard.”
He rolled me over so he had me pinned to the ground, his weight holding me down.
I looked up at him. “You totally cheated.”
“Hunters cheat.”
He moved my arms up above my head and looked down at me. “You’re not trying to get away.”
No I wasn’t. That was very strange.
He grinned. “If I was the bad guy, you’d already be dead.”
“Good thing you’re not the bad guy, then, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, good thing.” He moved his face down closer to mine until our lips were almost touching. Until I could feel his warm breath against my mouth, his body pressed firmly against mine.
I heard the entrance door to Haven slam shut just as Quinn kissed me.
Ipushed Quinn back a few inches.
There was silence for a moment before Thierry spoke.
“I saw on my call display that you had phoned me from here, so I drove over to see you. I apologize if
I’m interrupting.”
He sounded very blase, very cold, as if he hadn’t just walked in on Quinn lying directly on top of me in the middle of his club. Oh, and the kissing thing. Yeah, couldn’t have been better timing if I’d planned it.
And by “better” I, of course, mean “completely, incredibly horrible.”
Quinn just grinned down at me with a self-satisfied smile on his face. Then, obviously not seeing the complete mortification in my expression, he winked, then pushed against the floor to stand up.
“Thierry,” I began, propping myself up on my elbows. “Quinn was teaching me some self-defense.”
His arms were crossed over his chest and he stood off to the side by the entrance. His expression was tight. He nodded. “Ah. So that’s what that was. I wasn’t certain.”
Quinn reached a hand out to me to help me up, but I ignored it and got to my feet by myself. I absently brushed off my jeans and wished suddenly that I was on a plane headed far, far away.
“My idea,” Quinn offered after a long, uncomfortable moment of silence. “Sarah needs to learn how to protect herself, and I figure there were no other takers, so here I am, offering my assistance in the matter.”
Thierry’s jaw was tense. “That is very kind of you. So tell me, what kind of self-defense do you call that exactly?”
“That? Just straightforward street fighting.”
“I see. And the kiss was just . . . for effect?”
I felt my cheeks blaze with heat.
Quinn didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. “No, not for effect. That was just an added bonus. You know, when things get a little hot and sweaty, things tend to happen between two people. It’s called chemistry. Sometimes you can’t control that.”
“Indeed.” Thierry’s gaze flicked to me for a moment.
I was busy searching for that hole in the floor I wanted to disappear into.
Quinn shrugged. “Maybe if you were around a little more, Sarah wouldn’t have to find other people to help her with . . .self-defense . But that’s cool. I enjoy . . .teaching .”
A smile twitched at Thierry’s lips. “Perhaps you’re right. Sarah, I know I haven’t been around very much lately and I apologize. I certainly understand the need for you to find your education from other sources. And as I said yesterday, it’s so kind of you to be there for Quinn. You’re very accommodating.”
My lips thinned. “It’s not like that.”
Quinn frowned at me. “Not like that? Could have fooled me.” He turned his attention on Thierry.
“Listen, how about we all say what’s really on our minds?”
“Yes, why don’t we?”
He crossed his arms. “She trusted you and you bit her, you bloodsucking bastard.”
I touched the bite marks on my neck. “Quinn, I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Why not? We’re all friends here. What does your boyfriend here have to say about it? Was she tasty?”
Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “She hasn’t healed up yet, like a good vampire should. With the marks still showing, I’d say you went a bit overboard, didn’t you? I’ve done a little research on you . . . from what I found it wouldn’t be the first time you showed your monster to a woman who trusted you. Luckily for
Sarah, she’s still breathing.”
A trace of anguish played in Thierry’s silver eyes. “You found that in your research, did you?”
“Yes. And a lot more, too. Want me to share it with the class? You want me to go chronologically or alphabetically for all the bad shit you’ve been involved in, old man? How about those murders I mentioned the other night? Got any inside information about that? I think you probably do.”
“Quinn, just shut up,” I said.
“No, I’m not shutting up. I’ve wanted to say this since the moment I met the ‘master,’ here.” The two locked gazes.
“You mean the moment that I saved your life?” Thierry replied softly. “When you were dying from being half-turned? When the vampire toxins were coursing through your body causing unbearable pain until I helped to ease it instead of allowing you to die in agony? Yes, I can see why that would elicit your hatred toward me.”
Quinn snorted. “Whatever.”